This invention relates to a container with an integrally connected handle, preform from which the container is biaxially blown and a method of manufacture thereof and more particularly to a preform and resulting container having a handle integrally connected at at least two separate points.
Attempts have been made to incorporate integral handles in PET and like injection blow moulded containersxe2x80x94for example see U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,598 to Thompson, assigned to Tri-Tech Systems International, Inc. The parison or preform from which the handled bottles of U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,598 are produced is illustrated in FIG. 1. To date, however, attempts to produce a practical, mass produced version of this arrangement have been unsuccessful. Instead, the best that appears to have been done in commercial practice is an arrangement whereby the blown containers are arranged to accept a clip on or snap on handle in a separate production step after the container itself is formed. See for example WO82/02371 and WO82/02370, both to Thompson.
Injection-stretch-blow moulding is a process in which the parison is stretched both axially and radially, resulting in biaxial orientation.
Biaxial orientation provides increased tensile strength (top load), less permeation due to tighter alignment of the molecules, and improved drop impact, clarity, and lightweighting of the container.
Not all thermoplastics can be oriented. The major thermoplastics used are polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP). PET is by far the largest volume material, followed by PVC, PP, and PAN.
The amorphous materials, e.g., PET, with a wide range of thermoplasticity are easier to stretch-blow than the partially crystalline types such as PP. Approximate melt and stretch temperatures to yield maximum container properties are:
There are basically two types of processes for stretch-blow moulding: 1) single-stage in which preforms are made and bottles blown on the same machine, and 2) two-stage in which preforms are made on one machine and blown later on another machine.
Single-stage equipment is capable of processing PVC, PET, and PP. Once the parison is formed (either extruded or injection moulded), it passes through conditioning stations which bring it to the proper orientation temperature. The single-stage system allows the process to proceed from raw material to finished product in one machine, but since tooling cannot be easily changed, the process is best suited for dedicated applications and low volumes.
Oriented PVC containers most commonly are made on single-stage, extrusion-type machines. The parison is extruded on either single- or double-head units. Temperature conditioning, stretching, and thread forming are done in a variety of ways depending on the design of the machine. Many of the processes presently in use are proprietary.
Many oriented PET containers are produced on single-stage machines. Preforms are first injection moulded, then transferred to a temperature conditioning station, then to the blow moulding operation where the preforms are stretch-blown into bottles, and finally to an eject station.
With the two-stage process, processing parameters for both preform manufacturing and bottle blowing can be optimized. A processor does not have to make compromises for preform design and weight, production rates, and bottle quality as he does on single-stage equipment. He can either make or buy preforms. And if he chooses to make them, he can do so in one or more locations suitable to his market. Both high-output machines and low output machines are available. Heretofor two stage extrusion-type machines generally have been used to make oriented PP bottles. In a typical process, preforms are re-extruded, cooled, cut to length, reheated, stretched while the neck finish is being trimmed, and ejected.
It is an object of the present invention to produce a practical, readily implementable injection, stretch blow moulded container made from an orientable plastics preform material incorporating a handle joined in a loop at at least two points to the preform.
Accordingly in one broad form of the invention there is provided a preform for a container comprised of orientable plastics material and arranged so that the resultant blown container will include a handle or like support structure; said preform comprising a moulded structure having a neck portion and an expandable portion below the neck, at least one loop of orientable plastics material integrally connected at both a first end and a second end to a respective first location and a separate second location on said preform which when the container is formed constitutes said handle.
In a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method of forming a container having an integral handle; said method comprising:
(a) forming a preform having a neck portion and an expandable portion below the neck portion, said preform having at least one loop of orientable plastics material integrally connected at both a first end and a second end to a respective first location and a separate second location on said preform, and
(b) performing a blow moulding operation on said preform to expand the expandable portion to form the body of the container.
In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a method of production as a two step process of an integral handle PET container from a preform which has a loop of orientable plastics material at least one loop of orientable plastics material integrally connected at both a first end and a second end to a respective first location and a separate second location on said preform; said method including the step of shrouding said loop of said preform during preheating of said preform preparatory to a stretch blow moulding step.
In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a container comprised of biaxially orientable plastics material manufactured from a two stage injection stretch blow moulding process; said two stage process comprising a first stage in which a preform is manufactured and a second stage in which said preform is reheated and biaxially stretched to form said container; said container including a graspable handle integrally affixed at at least a first point of connection and a second point of connection to said container so as to form an enclosed area between said handle and said container and through which at least two fingers of a human hand can pass.
In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided an injection machine for the manufacture of a parison or preform as described above in a first stage of a two stage process.
In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided a stretch blow moulding machine for the manufacture of a container having an integral handle, said machine operable according to the method described above.
In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided an injection machine for the manufacture of preforms having integral handles incorporated therein; said machine including moulds having a channel which permits PET material to flow into a stem portion which constitutes a handle in a container blown from a preform produced by said injection moulding machine.
Preferably said channel of said mould includes a return portion whereby said stem is connected integrally at two points on said preform.
In yet a further broad form of the invention there is provided an injection blow moulding machine incorporating heat insulating means to insulate handle portions of preforms during heating of said preforms prior to stretch blow moulding thereof.
Preferably said insulating means comprises a shroud.